No need to take sizzlestick seriously - click on their profile and you'll whoever it is has made almost the exact same comment on the other article Crackdown in KL ... as if they had a boring job to do and couldn't even be asked to do it properly.

I see the last desperation of the ruling political mafia trying to
hold on to their last breath before their demise.

UMNO Corruption Sdn. Bhd. and its cronies parties especially the MCA are becoming irrelevant to the Malaysian society who rampantly
attacked the civilian and violated the UN Warfare Convention of arresting protesters in an otherwise, peaceful, Tung Shin Hospital. I think Najib & its cronies and its police chief should be tried as war criminal.

Until now 19th July 2011, 193000 people support "BERSIH 2.0" and 205000 people want Najib to resign. Najib has fail to perform his duty as prime minister. Public disagree accumulated not long after Najib in office when he start 1 Malaysia Slogan, a slogan fill with emptiness and his blur standing about PERKASA the time. His credibility to fight corruption cease as he involve in MCA soap comedy to put down Minister of Transport Dato Seri Ong Ti Kiat.Useless Proposal and Mega project distribution benefice certain crony only and upset other, include many Ummo. Rumors talk about police fighting center-local on sharing bribe ,an U2I2 4hr deal which broke end bcoz make-less hang others neck(1st people like settle 2nd other wait discount), election activity with 1 Malaysia Carnival free gift Plasma TV + Motorcycle(&abolish local influence),MACC become suicide ground(Beng Hock+Sarbani),Sex video though Mass Media during news hour, ChuaCD and Datuk3 pseudo-standard preceding has cause justification and law sector to wreck!? Sugar,cooking oil,price hike, shortage claim to be smuggle+custom fault!?Rumors said oil-rig perform instant sales with some suggest marine involve!? The public has feel more desperate since oil price rise, pressure to sustain living even those work putrajaya. Many citizen and even financial body has brine of bankruptcy.CLEAN UP IS DEMAND(although businessman likes paty bribe but most hate those cross red-tape too far!)BERSIH is join body of 62NGO targeting electoral system clean up with 8 claim.If he has no guts to deal or assign someone to deal, to reform government body that not carry gun or looter team, How possible he handle Gunster fight,A-Corruption Agent lie ,Tax-Smuggler brotherhood,Tycoon-Shark venture,gangster group and racist player? Who willing to help him to put thing back?
After the Gathering we confirm the state on falling track where investor will be play oust anytime.............except those who came here with risky business or counter cheating!
Ling Liong Sik has a theory about Rotten Fish ,He say: Fish rotten start from this head...
Most seems agree.

@sizzlestick: By the way, in the UK and US, citizens are allowed to conduct peaceful demonstration. For Bersih, the policemen did not even allow participants to stand and walk on street. They even shut down some of the major public transportation just to prevent citizens to enter into the city. The policemen gave the crowd 3 mins to disperse and started firing away when the participants did nothing violent. Tell ur US and UK friends that and your Japanese friends.

I know because some of my friends were there at the forbidden city and were running for their lives from the tear gas.

I've given up hope for this country long time ago, no justice that we could fight for against such corrupted government. But the Bersih rally changed my mind. I saw my fellow Malaysians stood up and fight for the rest of us who think like me for our rights, for our voice. I've seen countless of videos of them being tortured not just ny the chemical water and tear gas but how policemen chased them with batons. I've seen women squatting on the side of the roadvrying and nagging for mercy while the police hurled abusive language at them. I've seen a man who got handcuffed praying to Allah, and he fainted. Policemen just stood there chatting among themselves, cracking jokes while the rest of Bersih participants tried to free him. He died in the end.

I'm not the most patriotic person but this campaign totally changed my view. To stand up along with others who have fought with and for us.

Sizzlestick, is this showy? It is not, you blind fool. It is us Malaysians coming together!

"The Bersih protestors were given an alternative venue to hold their rally, the Shah Alam Stadiun but instead they proceeded to the Merdeka Stadium(MS) in Kuala Lumpur. This makes it an illegal demonstration."

Sizzlestick, clearly you are very unaware of the scenario that led up to Bersih. We weren't GIVEN an alternative venue. It was suggested but Bersih still needed a permit to be approved by the police. We chose instead to enact our rights as is enshrined in our own Malaysian constitution to public assembly.

"And these protestors encroached on a lot of private property as they assembled at various points before proceeding to the MS."

And which private property was this as you have pointed out? If it was Tung Shin hospital, then can I ask you where you would run if you were fired by tear gas on both ends of the road and the only place you could escape to was the hospital? And if you still render this an implausible point, then clearly you have not experienced the torture of tear gas before.

"The Bersih protestors are just being ‘provocative, inconsiderate and very showy, thinking that demos can be held just about anywhere and in anyhow style."

How were we provocative, inconsiderate and showy? All we did was cry out for our rights in a country that considers itself a democracy- free and fair elections. We were there peacefully. And we did so in a manner as was enshrined by our own constitution.

I was there myself. And the police threatened to arrest me when I was suffering and gasping for air after the tear gas attack. I did nothing wrong but to call on for my right which has been denied to me. My vote is all I have in my country and I want to ensure that vote I cast is as fair and clean as it can be.

bersih was let by Civil society , a combination of more than 62 NGO and some of the opposition particpated.None of the led the march. BN parties were invited if they supported the intent of running a clean and fair election. Govt from the time of announcement tried to bill this a Opposition thingy. If Bersih had their march in Shah Alam, Govt would have said "look at that , this is a opposition event in Opposition state" . Instead , the committee ensured their statements and actions were measured and demonstrated at every point transperently 1) the right of peaceful assembly and march a right within the malaysian consitution was blatantly denied and subjugated in the most draconian way 2) The government does not intend to look into any process improvement to make the system better

so the two actions are very loud - enough for a thinking citizen to understand and move this struggle to the next level

however , when you are die hard of the right wing or if you belong to the category that marching is only for rabble-rousers , than what you have is people who have no real interest in the countries long term well being and real service to the citizen

bersih was let by Civil society , a combination of more than 62 NGO and some of the opposition particpated.None of the led the march. BN parties were invited if they supported the intent of running a clean and fair election. Govt from the time of announcement tried to bill this a Opposition thingy. If Bersih had their march in Shah Alam, Govt would have said "look at that , this is a opposition event in Opposition state" . Instead , the committee ensured their statements and actions were measured and demonstrated at every point transperently 1) the right of peaceful assembly and march a right within the malaysian consitution was blatantly denied and subjugated in the most draconian way 2) The government does not intend to look into any process improvement to make the system better

so the two actions are very loud - enough for a thinking citizen to understand and move this struggle to the next level

however , when you are die hard of the right wing or if you belong to the category that marching is only for rabble-rousers , than what you have is people who have no real interest in the countries long term well being and real service to the citizen

PR supports Bersih because a clean and fair electoral system benefits them as well as Malaysians generally.

With a clean and fair electoral system in place, any political party can stand on the same level playground to market their visions and policies, we rakyat have a better chance to select a more competent Prime Minister to administer our nation.

Boycott dishonest and biased media is our freedom also. Do you want to waste your time to read distorted and false news?

It upsets me to read comment that is simply ignorant i.e. 'sizzlestick'. Please refrain from speaking so liberally if one does not have the facts and understanding of the 'real world' they are living in, who so bravely seeks what is right. Do you have any idea the current political and economic climate in Malaysia? It took a lot of courage for those who attended the march, knowing full well the intolerance of the present government. They took a bold move. It was intended to be peaceful and the government changed that with violence in the name of the law; and people were hurt. Democracy? No. It is blatant oppression. To be born, raised, and bred in Malaysia, I witnessed and experienced the changes brought upon the nation - it had not always been for the benefit for all but it has never been so bad. A nice country only on the surface. Scratch any deeper if you dare, and you'll find raw wounds inflicted on 'Malaysians'. The underlying tensions is very real. Malaysia is sadly very much divided. This is made worst under the schemes of the present government. Those in power are capable to do much worst, with very little regards for life. That is the ugly truth. Tolerance is merely given lip-service. I do not recognise the country I grew up in anymore. Alas, the greed of man, the pain you inflict, with no cares to all but your own. A patriotic cheer for those who stand for justice in peace! I would gladly join the rank when the time comes. A line would have to be drawn someday, somehow, if not soon.

"sizzlestick wrote:
The Bersih protestors were given an alternative venue to hold their rally, the Shah Alam Stadiun but instead they proceeded to the Merdeka Stadium(MS) in Kuala Lumpur. This makes it an illegal demonstration."

The stadium offer by the Najib administration was just a red herring for the international media. They had no intention of letting the Bersih rally run, no matter which stadium it was planned at.

The Bersih committee accepted the offer to hold the rally in a stadium in good faith. However, the police (closely aligned with the ruling government, because there is no real separation of powers in this democracy) demanded that the Bersih committee apply for a permit to hold a PUBLIC gathering INSIDE a stadium.

Silly, but not insurmountable.

But the Home Minister one-upped the police. He ordered the Registrar of Societies to outlaw Bersih because it was an illegal society at the 11th hour. Because he declared Bersih illegal, the police were NOT ALLOWED to issue them a permit.

The Home Minister even went as far as to say that the ban would remain in effect until the Registrar said otherwise, even though the Home Minister himself ordered the ban.

3. I was in the demo, I say your accusation of "provocative, inconsiderate and very showy' is a fake story taken from New Straits Times, Utusan, TV3 and other BN-controlled media. Almost all video clips in the youtube.com point to the Malaysian police is the source of provocative.

@sizzlestick "The Bersih protestors are just being ‘provocative, inconsiderate and very showy, thinking that demos can be held just about anywhere and in anyhow style." You are so wrong my friend and i'm not sure where & how u've got ur info from. WE are neither 'provocative', 'inconsiderate' nor 'showy', it was the other way round my friend! Are u a M'sian who worked in Japan, still? From your comment, i'd assumed that u've read from the GOV owned medias, if u wanna know the truth, please go to the independent news portal.

I was there during the whole incident, M'sia GOV not only being a denial & lied to the world, they also trying to twist the truth by accusing us as what exactly you've mentioned! It was a peaceful walk , not a stone or bottle threw, not a single tyre burnt, no shattered glasses and definately no provocation and yet the "gangsters"(the cops) fired their tear gas & water cannon at us, some tear gas canisters even shot directly to the crowd. Yes, BERSIH was offered to gather in a stadium and WE also agreed on it provided the GOV allowed us to gather in Stadium Merdeka as it is a more significant location, the GOV rejected BERSIH at the very last minute, they are trying to play games with BERSIH, WE were left no choice but to go on with our plan, should Najib allowed us to gather in the Stadium Merdeka & the cops look after the traffic, nothing ugly will happened! The cops not only failed to protect the citizen, they indimidated, they bullied, hundreds of people arrested for wearing the BERSIH tee(WTF?)! Did u read about the protestors beaten up by cops? Did u read about the cops fired tear gas and water cannon into a hospital compound(i was there in the hospital carpark, i've seen all these s*** with my own eyes), of cos M'sian GOV denied all these & challenge us to proof it, well, my fren, M'sian GOV under Najib's is totally f**ked up! If ur free, log on to Youtube and type the keyword: BERSIH! The truth is out there!

sizzlestick, it's not right to say the bersih protestors reject the government's offer of the shah alam stadium. first of all, the govt. only said they offered bersih stadium, so bersih picked merdeka stadium. it was only at the 11th hour that govt. said to take the shah alam stadium. the shah alam stadium was way too far from the city. the merdeka stadium (as the name applies - merdeka is independence) is OURS, paid by the public.

the protestors had no choice to run into private property because water canon and tear gas were fired at them. surely you would run to if the water canon and tear gas came your way... and to the nearest safe place, even if private property.

one thing i don't like is the sub-heading here - "an overzealous government response to an opposition rally". this is NOT an opposition rally. this is BERSIH rally and bersih consists of NGOs, so it is an NGO rally actually. only thing is that the opposition decided to join in the rally. the bersih committee had even invited the ruling government to join the rally but they refused. well yes, granted that maybe some of the oppostion leaders did hijack the rally for their own political agenda but on the whole, this is NOT an opposition rally. this is a rally by the people of malaysia. you can read the wonderful stories of how united the people felt on that day from the various malaysian news portal.